This elegant fruit forward pinot has ripe plum and cherry characteristics dominating the nose with hints of wild raspberry coming through underneath. A lovely light earthiness ties these aromas all together and continues onto the palate along with a subtle black pepper spice and wood shavings. This is a mid-weight pinot with well integrated tannins carrying through to an extended finish. Drink now and up to 5 years+.

A warm spring without frosts greeted the growing season and encouraged a very quick flowering period. The summer was warm and dry up until Christmas but became very wet in the New Year. We did not need to irrigate our vines for the remainder of the season which was very unusual for Marlborough. Ripe flavours at low sugar levels allowed us to pick early compared with previous years.

Grapes for this wine were grown mainly in the Southern Valleys sub region of Marlborough. This area is famed for producing rich and structured wines.
The fruit was handpicked. 30% whole clusters were used in the ferment. The cap was worked with gentle pump overs during cold soak and the early stages of fermentation. The cap was worked harder towards the end of ferment and the wine pressed off at its completion. The wine was aged in French oak for 10 months, 25% of which were new. The wine was given a coarse filtration prior to bottling. Naturally occurring sediment may be present.

Food Pairing: This is a fabulous food wine, for a twist on convention we recommend having it alongside a spicy Sichaun beef dish